Centenary races by Crusaders on Saturday
SHREVEPORT, La. – The University of Dallas men's basketball team dropped a 97-81 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) tip at Centenary College on Saturday evening. It was a fast tempo pace where Dallas (5-9, 0-5 SCAC) scored a season-high against a league opponent, but the Gents (8-8, 2-3 SCAC) produced 54 points in the first half and had 33 in the game off fastbreaks.
STAT NOTABLES
(Individual Notes)
- Michael Sarrat (Colleyville, Texas) and Prince Giadolor (Rockwall, Texas) each tied team-highs with 15 points. Sarrat drilled a trio of three-pointers and Giadolor had 11 by the break.
- Darrius Colvin (Waco, Texas) tossed in 12 points to round out the double-digit scorers.
- Matthew Richelsen (Medina, Minn.) contributed nine points off the bench and grabbed five rebounds.
- Lorenzo Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) matched seven points with as many in boards and assists for team-highs.
- The Gents had two players with over 20 points led by James Sapp with 27 (12-16 FG). KJ Boyd followed with 23.
- Travion Kirkendoll, Cedric Harris, and Dyllon Weaver all reached double figures respectively with 15, 12, and 11. Harris had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Sapp grabbed nine boards and Kirkendoll dished seven assists to tie a game-high.
(Team Notes)
- Dallas shot 38.6 percent from the field while the Gents were 47.4 percent.
- The Crusaders did make 10 three-pointers, which was one shy of season-best versus Southwestern Adventist University on December 1.
- Both squads each made 44 rebounds.
- While Centenary edged UD 35-28 on points off the bench, each team posted 21 per half. UD had that mark by intermission compared to the Gents matching that total in the second frame.
- Centenary scored 33 points off fast breaks compared to 10 by the Crusaders. The Maroon and White forced 18 turnovers and committed 10 which led to 10-point difference (24-14).
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the second time in two days, Dallas allowed the opposition to reach 50 points in the opening stanza. The Crusaders did gain an early edge with an 8-1 run to go up 8-3. After a Harris Dunk started the game, Giadolor got the guests on the board and Sarrat hit a three as part of the quick start. Five points was the largest lead Dallas held with 10-5 and a little over two minutes past the opening jump ball.
The Gents nipped the gap with five straight points as part of an eventual 9-0 run. UD's Colvin hit his second trifecta in his only other attempt overall to make it a 14-13 deficit for the Navy and White. Centenary kept momentum and made its first big leap out to double-digits with a 27-16 lead and 11:08 before the break. Kirkendoll had the last four points in a fast stretch of six in a row that countered a Victor Garate (Austin, Texas) trey.
Richelsen ended the run with a layup a few seconds later and then put Dallas within seven on a pair of free throws. Harris had a trey make it a 10-point game again, but the Crusaders rattled off an 8-0 run in two minutes. A Gonzalez layup started it, and then Giadolor had the big momentum play drawing a foul on a layup. After he hit the extra free throw, Richelsen stroked a three-pointer to make it 30-28 and 7:42 remaining in the first.
The third tie happened of the game at 34-all when Jacob DelAngel (Bridgeport, Texas) made the first-of-two free throws. His second make on the backend lifted Dallas to its final advantage of the contest.
The Gents concluded the half with a 54-45 lead. Kirkendoll scored the final five points (giving him 12) for the home team in less than a minute including banking a three-pointer from the left side as time expired. Centenary shot 57.1 percent through that juncture.
Down as many as 10 in the early part of the next half, the Crusaders clawed back within two (58-56) with eight unanswered points and 16:34 left. A Colvin layup nipped the gap to that mark, and then Giadolor and Gonzalez each had baskets that countered makes for the Gents. A little before midway in the frame UD got within one on a Sarrat three. Emmanuel Calton (Keller, Texas) dropped in a layup after a Sapp jumper to keep it within one, but the Crusaders were unable to get over the hump.
Centenary worked the lead to an eventual 77-69 distance with just under seven minutes. The home team then went up as many as 11 for the second time, 88-77, with about four left. UD's Giadolor completed a layup to narrow the gap at 88-80 a few plays later, but Centenary finished the rest of the game ahead by double figures.
UP NEXT
Dallas is back at the Maher Center starting on January 20 versus Schreiner University. Tip-off is slated for around 7:30 p.m. after the women's basketball game. The first half of the conference schedule is completed on Jan. 22 with Trinity University.